Game board device



June 14, 1955 R. w. CRAIG GAME BOARD DEVICE Filed May 11, 1953 nliiruiw.

INVENTOR RaZpb [0. Craig ATTORNEYS United States Patent 0 GAME BOARD DEVICE Ralph W. Craig, North Sacramento, Calif.

Application May 11, 1953, Serial No. 354,184

1 Claim. (Cl. 273122) The present invention is directed to, and it is a major object to provide, a novel game device which is of pinball type, especially designed-but not limited--for home use; the game device being one which a parent and child can play together, with amusement for both.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game device which requires skill and practice to play, thus making the game highly interesting, entertaining, and competitive; the game device nevertheless being relatively simple to manipulate so that it is not difficult for children to master and play.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game device of the type described which includes a playing board assembly on which balls are fired from opposite ends, by the players, toward a transverse bafile disposed intermediate the ends of said assembly, and which battle 1- is formed with openings through which the balls may pass when correctly aimed; there being a novel ball holding, aiming, and firing bar disposed on the playing board assembly at each end for manipulation by the corresponding player.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a game device which is readily portable, being capable of easy manual transport from a place of storage to a table for use; the device preferably being sectional for the purpose of compact storage when not in use.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a game device which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a practical and durable game board device, and one which will be exceedingly efiective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the game device as ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the playing board assembly, with the adjacent ball holding, aiming, and firing bar omitted.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation showing the firing pin unit.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the device comprises a pair of initially separate game board sections, indicated generally at 1 and 2; such sections being substantially rectangular in plan, and initially separate for convenience of storage and ease of manual transport to the place of use.

When the game device is in use the game board sections 1 and 2 are abutted together at adjacent ends and secured in this relationship by catches 3.

Patented June 14, 1955 ice As the game board sections 1 and 2 are of identical construction, a description of one will suffice for both.

Each of the game board sections 1 and 2 comprises transversely spaced, longitudinal side walls 4 of substantial height, preferably progressively increasing in height from their outer to their inner ends.

A fiat longitudinal playing board 5 is supported between the side walls 4, and such board extends from its outer to its inner end at an upward incline. The outer end of the playing board 5 terminates short of the corresponding end of the side walls 4, while the inner end of said playing board 5 terminates substantially flush with the adjacent ends of the side Walls.

In spaced parallel relation below the playing board 5 the side walls 4 support a ball return board 6 whose outer end terminates outwardly of the corresponding end of the playing board 5, while the inner end of the ball return board 6 is flush with the adjacent ends of said side walls 4.

A transverse ball stop rod 7 spans between the side walls 4 slightly above, and outwardly of, the outer end of the ball return board 6.

When the above described sections 1 and 2 are abutted together at the inner ends, the related ends of the playing boards 5 likewise abut, forming an apex 8.

An upstanding transverse baflle plate 9 extends between the side walls 4, with the lower edge of said baflle plate resting on the apex 8. The baffle plate 9 is removably supported in position by engagement at the ends in notches 10 formed in the side walls 4 at their abutting end portions.

The bafile plate 9 is formed with a row of spaced archlike openings 11 which open therethrough lengthwise of the playing board assembly, and such openings 11 extend upwardy from the apex 8, whereby balls rolled or fired along the playing board assembly may, when properly aimed, pass through said openings.

The playing board 5 of each of the sections 1 and 2 is formed, adjacent but short of the apex 8, with a transverse row of spaced ball trap holes 12; the holes 12 being staggered relative to the corresponding openings 11 in the baffle plate 9, and said ball trap holes 12 being of a diameter substantially equal to the width of the openings 11. This is to the end that balls fired up the playing boards 5, by the means and in the manner hereinafter described, may pass downwardly through the ball trap holes 12 rather than passing through the openings 11; balls which pass through the holes 12 being caught upon the ball return board 6 and thence running down the latter until engaged and stopped by the rod 7.

Each of the game board sections 1 and 2 is provided with a ball holding, aiming, and firing bar 13 of somewhat bow-shape; each bar being flat-sided and resting flush on the outer end portion of the corresponding playing board 5.

The forward edge 14 of each bar 13 is generally concave, and a set of playing balls 15 is disposed on the related board 5, initially bearing by gravity against said edge.

Of each set of ball 15 a number are of a diameter to roll easily through the openings 11 or holes 12, but a few of such balls are of somewhat increased diameter, still capable of passage through said openings or holes but with substantially less clearance; this to increase the skill required in firing the larger balls through the openings 11 in the baffle plate 9.

Each ball holding, aiming, and firing bar 13 is formed, centrally and at the rear, with a peak 16 from which a longitudinal handle 17 projects outwardly.

Centrally of its ends each bar 13 is formed with a forwardly opening ball receiving notch 18 into which the balls 15 of each set successively engage for forward firing by means of the following:

A longitudinal sleeve 19 extends from the notch 18 through the peak 16 and handle 17; there being a plunger pin 20 slidably supported in said sleeve 19. At its inner end, which is normally within the confines of the notch 18, the plunger pin 20 is fitted with a resilient head 21, while the outer end of said pin, which is clear of the handle 17, is fitted with a finger knob 22.

A compression spring 23 surrounds the plunger pin 2* 2.0 between a nut 24 on said pin adjacent the head 21 and a collar 25 fixed in the sleeve 11) intermediate its ends.

By pulling rearwardly on the plunger pin 20 by the knob 22, the spring 23 is loaded, whereby upon release of such knob the plunger pin 20 is snapped forwardly and the resilient head 21 strikes the ball in the notch 18 and fires said ball in the direction of the bafile plate 9.

A shock absorbing spring 26 surrounds the plunger pin 20 between knob 22 and a collar 27 fixed in the outer end of sleeve 19.

Prior to firing of each ball from the notch 18 in the manner above described, the player-grasping the handle 17 in one hand-shifts or manipulates the bar 13 on the related playing board 5, whereby to air said ball in a direction attempting to roll the same when fired through one of the openings 11 in the bafile plate 9. The outer ends of each bar 13 are rounded, as at 28, to permit of easy shifting or aiming motion of said bar by the handle 17.

T he above described game device is played in the following manner:

Two players, one at each end of the playing board assembly, are provided each with a set of the balls 15;

the sets being identical and the balls all resting at the start against the forward edge 14 of the adjacent bar 13.

The players then simultaneously begin to fire the balls up the playing boards 5, aiming such balls by manipulation of the bars 13. The object of the game is for one player or the other to fire all of his set of balls through the openings 11 of the bafile plate 9 onto the opponents playing board 5, whence they add to the balls of the opponent's set.

The excitement of the game is enhanced by the fact that balls when fired up the playing board 5 may miss the openings 11, either running back down the related playing board 5 to reengage with the bar 13, or dropping through the ball trap holes 12 and running down the ball return board 6 to engagement with the stop rod 7.

After a player has fired all of the balls from his firing bar 13 through the openings 11, and during which time he is forbidden to touch such balls, he reaches below the firing bar 13 and picks up all of the balls resting against the stop rod 7, returning them to the playing board 5 ahead of said bar, whereupon the firing of the balls is continued. This procedure is carried forward until one player has no balls disposed either against his bar 13 or against the stop rod 7; such player then being declared the winner.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been provided such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

A game device comprising a longitudinal playing board, upstanding side walls along the board, an upstanding transverse baflle plate on the board at its inner end, said plate having a transverse row of spaced openings therethrough extending upwardly from the board, playing balls to roll on the board, and means on the board adjacent its outer end to engage and propel one ball at a time along the board; said means including a transverse bar movably seated on the board and extending substantially the full width thereof between the side walls, the bar being formed in its inner edge with a ball receiving notch centrally between its ends, a handle rigid with and projecting from the outer edge of the bar in alinement with the notch and a spring pressed trigger pin passing through the handle and into the notch; the inner edge of the bar being formed with a longitudinal concave curvature, transversely of the board, from the notch to adjacent each end of the bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 810,378 Pettee Jan. 16, 1906 820,367 Roberts May 8, 1906 1,163,102 Morgan Dec. 7, 1915 1,593,421 Blum July 20, 1926 1,599,579 Milewski Sept. 14, 1926 1,942,476 Harris Jan. 9, 1934 2,632,649 Schaefer Mar. 24, 1953 2,662,518 Luthi Dec. 15, 1953 

